


Gunslinger

by GhonkDroid



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Bounty Hunters, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:13:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25889395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhonkDroid/pseuds/GhonkDroid
Summary: A retired bounty hunter tries to put his work behind him, only for his last job to come back to haunt him.
Kudos: 1





	Gunslinger

I have only been caught off guard twice in 16 years. It comes with the job, I suppose. Plenty of crewmates will try to stab you in the back, or the ‘dead drop’ you were promised turns out to be an imperial ambush, or the pissed-off family of the target you were sent for tries to send someone after you while you sleep. Dirty moves, underhanded tactics, honestly it’s a sight for sore eyes when someone’s at least upfront about wanting me dead. That’s the first thing you pick up running bounties; be prepared for anything. The other thing you learn, well it’s more of a courtesy, but you never ask your client about the reasons for their job. They figure that if you’re smart enough to ask for those details, you’re smart enough to go try to cut a better deal with the person you’re supposed to dispatch or capture. A lot of rookies get blasted before they even reach their destination because they try to act smart. It hardly fools anyone. I guess that’s also why you tend to see many more kill orders than capture orders nowadays, client doesn’t want their crew to haggle for a better deal, and it’s hard to barter with a corpse.

I get back from the market late. It’s been 2 months since I finished my last job, and the house is just about finished. About a half hour away from Theed, it’s a thing of beauty. The unique blend of Alderaani and Naboo architecture cost a small fortune, but my wife insisted on styles from both our homeworlds. I met her while on a reconnaissance job on Crevasse CIty, and instantly she took my breath away. Initially I asked her for directions and information, but I could not resist going back to her studio to talk with her, even after the job was done. It was as if a splash of color had seeped back into my life, and it was her charm and wit that elicited my first laugh in little over a decade. I had enough assets that we could live comfortably for the rest of our lives, but I couldn’t risk getting her tangled up in my business. Before I left, she gifted me a smallI necklace, with a beautiful Plom Bloom at its center. I vowed I would come back for her, and left with mixed emotions. I needed a way out, so I approached my handler one last time. He seemed initially against it, but reluctantly granted me an exit from his group of bounty hunters, provided I could finish one last job. It was the most difficult one available, already it had claimed over a dozen hunters. The Fourth sister was the target of a kill order, she resided at the heart of an Imperial Center on Coruscant. I had a brief window of time in the mornings when she exited her quarters and crossed a small yard, otherwise I would need to plow my way through the entire installation to reach her. In order to reach my vantage point, I had to silently eliminate a patrol of scout troopers, and decided to use one of their rifles to take the shot. Better to think that a mutiny rose up and destroyed itself than to suspect foul play. At the crack of dawn, the door to the Fourth Sister’s room opened, and she strode out. She had just enough time to take two steps before a lone blaster bolt pierced her vision, and she crumpled. I had just enough time to exfiltrate before stormtrooper squads flooded the place, but as far as they knew, a disillusioned scout trooper went rogue and was subsequently killed in a shootout with the others.Returning to Crevasse City, I stopped by her studio, and told her everything. She deserved to know the truth before I asked her to come with me. For the first time in 16 years, I was surprised, as she practically jumped into my arms. The move to Naboo was tough, at first, but eventually she opened a new studio in Theed, where the locals admired her unique style.

For the second time in 16 years, I was caught off guard, as I saw blaster scars on the front gate to our house. Drawing my blaster, I sprinted past the half-melted gate, into what remained of our house. I practically tore our dream home apart searching for her, hoping in vain that she had managed to hide from whatever assailants had attacked, but found nothing. That’s when I saw it; the tools that had guided my existence for 16 years, laid out on the floor. A tracking fob, and a blinking holocommunicator. As if sensing me approach, the communicator burst into life, and I saw the face of my handler once again. His mottled face and bug eyes locked in that perpetual sneer. Jabba Tiure was expecting me.

“Where is she?!” I screamed at him.

An offscreen translator droid replied for the beast’s vocalizations. “The almighty Jabba has instructed for your wife to be kept safe. Listen to what he has to say and she will remain so.” My heart sank, the one damn thing I didn’t want to happen had happened. When I brought her to Naboo from Alderaan, this chapter of my life was supposed to end, but here I am, the fool.

“You bastard! We had a deal, kill the Fourth Sister and leave with no questions asked. I thought you Hutts respected your honor.”

“You would be correct, although his Excellence Jabba does not like your tone of voice.” The droid chirped. “He contracted you to kill the Fourth Sister, yet she survived. He has simply taken… collateral to ensure that you follow through with your mission.”

I tried to calm myself enough to not let anything slip that might upset the worm, and I had to bite back some choice comments. “You will not lay a finger on her. I’ll bring you the Fourth Sister’s damm head if you want confirmation.”

Jabba nodded. The droid spoke again, “Jabba accepts these terms, on account of your past working relationship he believes you will be able to complete the job without a problem. She will not be harmed unless you fail to complete the contract.” The communicator shut off.

  
I knelt on the floor, and let out a scream I had been holding in since I arrived. How was I supposed to know Inquisitors could just take a blaster bolt to the face? Stupid, I  _ knew _ I should have double-tapped. The pendant my wife gave me fell out of my shirt, and I took a second to admire it. Handcrafted by the most talented artisan on Alderaan, she normally would have sold that piece for thousands of credits. I steeled myself, picked myself off the ground, and stuffed the tracking fob in my pocket. I had a job to do, damn what Jabba paid me to do. If I couldn’t finish off the Fourth Sister this time, I was still going to rescue my wife, one way or the other.


End file.
